Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02845757 2014-03-11
DOSSIER PACKAGING
BACKGROUND
[0001]
The present disclosure generally relates to computer systems, and more
particularly to
the use of a computer system to obtain information regarding an individual.
SUMMARY
[0002] The subject technology provides computer-implemented method including:
receiving a
request from a user to log into a communications server in which the request
includes user
credentials; authenticating the user based on the included user credentials in
the request;
permitting the user to log into the communications server if the user is
successfully
authenticated; receiving a first input selecting a person of interest;
retrieving information
associated with the selected person of interest; generating a dossier of
information including the
retrieved information associated with the selected person of interest; and
transmitting the
generated dossier to the user or an indicated recipient.
[0003] The subject technology further includes a system. The system includes a
memory
including instructions, and one or more processors configured to execute the
instructions to:
receive a request from a user to log into a communications server in which the
request include
user credentials; authenticate the user based on the included user credentials
in the request:
permit the user to log into the communications server if the user is
successfully authenticated;
receive a first input selecting a person of interest; receive a second input
defining one or more
filters for restricting information associated with the selected person of
interest; determine a set
of user restrictions associated with the user; retrieve information associated
with the selected
person of interest based on the defined one or more filters and the determined
set of user
restrictions; receive a third input selecting a download format for the
retrieved information:
generate a dossier of information including the retrieved information
associated with the selected
person of interest; and transmit the generated dossier to the user or an
indicated recipient based
on the selected download format.
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[0004] The subject technology further provides a machine-readable medium
including
instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the
machine to perform
operations including: receiving a request from a user to log into a
communications server in
which the request include user credentials; authenticating the user based on
the included user
credentials in the request; permitting the user to log into the communications
server if the user is
successfully authenticated; receiving a first input selecting a person of
interest; receiving a
second input defining one or more filters for restricting information
associated with the selected
person of interest; determining a set of user restrictions associated with the
user; retrieving
information associated with the selected person of interest based on the
defined one or more
filters and the determined set of user restrictions; receiving a third input
selecting a download
format for the retrieved information; generating a dossier of information
including the retrieved
information associated with the selected person of interest; and transmitting
the generated dossier
to the user or an indicated recipient based on the selected download format.
[0005] It is understood that other configurations of the subject technology
will become readily
apparent from the following detailed description, where various configurations
of the subject
technology are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be
realized, the subject
technology is capable of other and different configurations and its several
details are capable of
modification in various other respects, all without departing from the scope
of the subject
technology. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be
regarded as illustrative
in nature and not as restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The features of the subject technology are set forth in the appended
claims. However,
for purpose of explanation, several configurations of the subject technology
are set forth in the
following figures.
[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates an example architecture in which some
configurations of the subject
technology can be implemented.
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[0008] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example communications
terminal and
communications server in the architecture of FIG. 1 according to certain
aspects of the
disclosure.
[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates an example process for transmitting a dossier of
information for a
person of interest using the example communications server of FIG. 2.
[0010] FIG. 4 conceptually illustrates an example graphical user interface
for setting user
restrictions according to some configurations of the subject technology.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example computer system with
which the
communications terminal and communications server of FIG. 2 can be
implemented.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] The detailed description set forth below is intended as a
description of various
configurations of the subject technology and is not intended to represent the
only configurations
in which the subject technology may be practiced. The appended drawings are
incorporated
herein and constitute a part of the detailed description. The detailed
description includes specific
details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the subject
technology.
However, the subject technology is not limited to the specific details set
forth herein and may be
practiced without these specific details. In some instances, structures and
components are shown
in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the subject
technology.
[0013] The process for obtaining all deposit, phone call, visitation, and
other communication
information involving a single detainee (e.g., inmate at a prison or jail) may
be difficult and
frequently requires multiple searches across multiple systems. Obtaining this
data in a format
that is appropriate for offline review, such as for archiving or legal
discovery, may be even more
difficult. The process is further complicated with newer communications
systems. such as video
visitation, text and video exchange, self-edited profiles, and other digital
communication.
[0014] For instance, some existing systems may allow for a batch download
of call
recordings, but nothing else. Thus, for an investigator to download and
organize the data
available may require a tremendous amount of searching, downloading and
organizing.
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Additionally, some data, such as customer service records, are not available
to review or access
in existing systems. Likewise, video visitation records typically require a
separate login from the
detainee phone system.
[0015] In particular, existing systems that manage communication records of
detainees may
have several drawbacks when it comes to offline review of files:
= Existing systems may require multiple searches across multiple systems,
sometimes
requiring multiple logins
= Frequently, acquiring call data information may require running one or
more reports
= Downloaded files are not organized in a way that allows the simple
sorting of information
into a timeline of activity, or the filtering of information to show or hide
specific types of
information
= Many types of data may not accessible to facility staff (such as call
center recordings)
= Once downloaded, there may be no mechanism to verify that the files have
not been
altered or comprised
[0016] In view of the above, the subject technology allows investigators
and other users to
download a single file or organized collection of files allowing offline
review of content (such as
for an investigation), offline storage (such as on a CD, or flash drive for
archiving), legal
discovery (such as the sharing of files with attorneys), and for use as
courtroom evidence. As
described herein, this package of offline data may be referred to as a
"dossier."
[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates an example architecture 100 in which some
configurations of the
subject technology can be implemented. The architecture 100 illustrates a
detention environment
102 that includes communications terminals 110 connected to a network 150
through a
communications firewall 114 using a communications manager 112. The
architecture 100
further includes a communications server 130 as described herein connected to
the network 150
through a communications server firewall 132. The firewalls 114 and 132 can be
software-based
or hardware-based.
100181 Each of the communications terminals 110 is connected to a
communications manager
112. In certain aspects, for purposes of load balancing, the communications
terminals 110 can be
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connected to many communications managers. The communications terminals 110
can be audio
communication terminals, video communication terminals, tactile communications
terminals
(e.g., for the visual and/or hearing impaired), or other terminals configured
for communication
between two individuals. In certain aspects, the communication terminals can
be mobile, such as
mobile smartphones or mobile kiosks. The communications manager 112 to which
the
communications terminals 110 are connected can be, for example, a networking
device such as a
router, gateway, or switch. The communications manager 112 can be configured
for various
protocols of communication including, for example, Internet Protocol (IP),
voice over IP (VoIP),
audio and video Internet telephony network protocols, or telephone switching.
[0019] The communications manager 112 is connected to the network 150, such as
the
Internet, a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a
broadband network
(BBN), and the like. Further, the network 150 can include, but is not limited
to, any one or more
of the following network topologies, including a bus network, a star network,
a ring network, a
mesh network, a star-bus network, tree or hierarchical network, and the like.
In certain aspects
where the communications server 130 is located at the detention environment
102, the network
150 can include, for example, any one or more of a personal area network
(PAN), a local area
network (LAN), or a campus area network (CAN). The connection between the
communications
manager 112 and the network 150 can be protected using a communications
firewall 114, which
can be particularly relevant to protecting the security of the detention
environment 102 by
limiting log ins to devices in the detention environment 102 to authorized
individuals or
processes.
[0020] The communications server 130 is connected to the network 150 through
the
communications server firewall 132. The communications server 130 is
responsible for hosting
resident location information provided by the communications terminals 110 for
individuals in
the detention environment 102. The communications server 130 can be any device
having an
appropriate processor, memory, and communications capability for hosting the
terminal-based
resident location information.
[0021]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram 200 illustrating an example communications terminal
110
and communications server 130 in the architecture 100 of FIG. 1 according to
certain aspects of
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the disclosure. The communications terminal 110 and communications server 130
are connected
over the network 150 via respective communications modules 214 and 244.
The
communications modules 214 and 244 are configured to interface with the
network 150 to send
and receive information, such as data, requests, responses, and commands to
other devices on the
network 150. The communications modules 214 and 244 can be, for example,
modems or
Ethernet cards.
[0022] The communications terminal 110, which can be a telephone, videophone,
or camera,
includes a processor 212 (or connected downstream to a processor, e.g., at
communications
server 130), the communications module 214, and a memory 204 that includes an
application
206. Although the communications terminal 110 is illustrated as including the
processor 212 for
example only, it is understood that in certain aspects where, for example, the
communications
terminal 110 is a telephone, the processor 212 is not included in the
communications terminal.
The application is configured to control log ins to the communications
terminal 110. The
communications terminal 110 also includes an input device 216 and an output
device 214, such
as a display. The input device 216 can include, for example, a keyboard, a
touchpad, a
microphone, a camera, touchscreen, or mouse. The processor 212 of the
communications
terminal 110 is configured to execute instructions, such as instructions
physically coded into the
processor 212, instructions received from software (e.g., application 206) in
memory 240, or a
combination of both.
[0023]
The processor 212 of the communications terminal 110 is configured to execute
instructions, such as instructions physically coded into the processor 212,
instructions received
from software (e.g., application 206) in memory 240, or a combination of both,
to restrict
logging in based on the location of the communications terminal 110 within a
detention
environment 102. For example, the processor 212 of the communications terminal
110 executes
instructions from the application 206 to receive (e.g., by input device 216) a
request from a user
to log into the communications terminal 110.
[0024]
In some configurations, a processor 242 of the communications server 130 is
configured to execute instructions, such as instructions physically coded into
the processor 242,
instructions received from software in memory 246, or a combination of both.
For example, the
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communications server 130 may provide an interface, such as a web-based
application, that
allows users to set parameters, such as selecting a person of interest (e.g.,
a detainee of a jail or
prison), and trigger a download of files or data associated with the selected
person of interest
stored in the detainee information 248 of the memory 246. As illustrated in
FIG. 2, a client
computing system 250 (e.g., desktop computer, laptop, tablet, mobile device,
etc.) may be
configured to send a request to the communications server 130 in order to log
in the web-based
application. The client computing system 250 may then provide inputs from the
user to the
communications server 130 for interacting with the web-based application.
[0025] Although the disclosed block diagram 200 illustrates the detainee
information 248 as
being stored in the memory 246 of the communications server 130, detainee
information 248 can
be stored in one or more other communications servers (e.g., a different
communication server in
a separate or same data center). For example, the detainee information 248 can
be provided by
the communications server 130 to one or many communications servers, for
example, as a form
of data replication.
[0026] FIG. 3 illustrates an example process 300 for transmitting a dossier
of information for
a person of interest using the example communications server 130 of FIG. 2.
While FIG. 3 is
described with reference to FIG. 2, it should be noted that the process steps
of FIG. 3 may be
performed by other systems or computing devices. The process 300 begins by
proceeding from
start step 305 when a request is received from a user (e.g., facility staff,
investigator, or lawyer
on the client computing system 250) to log into the communications server 130.
The user may
utilize the client computing system 250 to send the request. In one example,
the request includes
user credentials (e.g., username, password, token, certificate, etc.). In step
310, the process 300
authenticates the user based on the included user credentials in the request.
[0027] In decision step 315, a determination is made whether the user has
been successfully
authenticated. If the determination of step 315 indicates that the user has
not been successfully
authenticated, the process 300 ends. If the determination of step 303
indicates that the user has
been successfully authentication, the process 300 permits the user to log into
the communications
server and the process 300 continues to step 320.
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[0028] In step 320, the process 300 receives a first input selecting a
person of interest. In one
example, the selected person of interest is a detainee of a jail or prison. To
select the person of
interest, the user may provide input (e.g., keyboard, mouse, touch, voice,
etc.) in the interface of
the web-based application provided by the communications server 130.
[0029] In step 325, the process 300 receives a second input (e.g.,
keyboard, mouse, touch,
voice, etc.) defining one or more filters (including one or more parameters)
for restricting
information associated with the selected person of interest. In one example,
the defined one or
more filters may include at least one of a time period, type of data, a second
person connected to
the selected person of interest, or any person connected to the selected
person of interest. The
second person connected to the selected person of interest may be a friend of
the selected person
of interest or family member of the selected person of interest. More
specifically, the filters may
be defined according to the following examples:
a. Who is the Person of Interest: Who does the dossier focus on?
b. What Time Period: What time range is desired? Is it all time, or a specific
time
range?
c. Who Else: Does the dossier cover everyone who interacted with the person of
interest, or is it just limited to one or a few others?
d. What Infonnation: The dossier can include all known information, or it may
be
limited to specific types of information, such as just include financial
transactions.
Examples of different types of data listed after these steps.
[0030] In step 330, the process 300 determines a set of user restrictions
associated with the
user. In one example, the set of user restrictions associated with the user
include at least one of
user privileges, access to data, or download permissions. More specifically,
examples of allowed
and/or disallowed user rights may include the following:
a. User privileges: the logged in user's system permissions to access phone
recordings, or deposit information, etc.
b. Access to data: facilities that the user is not attached to (e.g., a
facility in a
neighboring county where the person of interest may have been incarcerated in
the past) may restrict access to data to the user
c. Download permissions: some user settings prevent users from downloading
audio
and video files and these permission settings apply to this invention.
Changing a
user's rights to allow the downloading of recordings would allow downloads to
take place.
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[0031] In step 335, the process 300 may, optionally, notify the user of any
user restrictions
determined in step 330. For instance, a notification may be sent to the user
to indicate certain
types of files are not permitted for downloading based on the user
restrictions.
[0032] In step 340, the process 300 retrieves information associated with
the selected person
of interest based on the defined one or more filters and the determined set of
user restrictions. In
one example, the retrieved information associated with the selected person of
interest includes
data pertaining to: an audio file, video file, attempted call, completed call,
rejected call,
voicemail, message left for customer service, call to customer service
representative, call to
automated customer service, exchanged text, exchanged photo, exchanged video,
video visit
scheduled, video visit completed, kiosk deposit, deposit by mail, deposit over
the phone,
grievance or inmate request attempted, grievance or inmate request submitted,
do not contact
block via customer service, do not contact block via web site, investigator
note, customer service
note, visited website, game played, contact searched, video station login, web
login by a friend or
family, inmate balance check, or inmate balance transfer. Other types of data
may be included
and still be within the scope of the subject technology.
[0033] By way of example, the following pieces of information are available
from a
downloaded dossier. Likewise, any of the information below could be filtered
out of a dossier,
or selected for a dossier.
= Attempted Calls
= Completed Calls
= Rejected Calls
= Voicemails
= Messages left for customer service
= Calls to customer service representative
= Calls to automated customer service
= Exchanged text, photos and video
= Video visits scheduled
= Video visits completed
= Kiosk deposits
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= Deposits by mail
= Deposits over the phone
= Grievances/inmate requests attempted
= Grievances/inmate requests submitted
= Do not Contact blocks via customer service
= Do not Contact blocks via Web site
= Investigator notes
= Customer service notes
= Visited Websites (by inmate)
= Games played (by inmate)
= Contacts searched (by inmate)
= Video station logins by inmate
= Web logins by friends & family
= Inmate balance checks
= Inmate balance transfers
[0034] In step 345, the process 300 receives a third input selecting a
download format for the
retrieved information. In one example, the selected download format may be an
e-mail including
a link to the generated dossier, compressed file, Portable Document Format
(PDF) file, MHTML
file, or webarchive file. Further, the link to the generated dossier may
expire after a
predetermined period of time for security considerations. More specifically,
the dossier may be:
a. Downloaded: downloaded as a compressed file (e.g., zip file) containing
both data
and recording files, as a single PDF, or as offline web content such as a
zipped
collection of web files, MHTML file or webarchive format.
b. Emailed: a dossier may be emailed to a third party (e.g., defense attorney)
by
entering that person's email address. The dossier may be attached as a zip
file, or
sent as a one-time download link, which can be made more secure for opting for
a
limited window of availability for the download link.
[0035] In step 350, the process 300 generates a dossier of information
including the retrieved
information associated with the selected person of interest. In one example,
the generated
dossier includes one or more checksum values (e.g.. hash) for verifying the
retrieved information
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included in the generated dossier. Additionally, the communications server 130
may store such
checksum values in the memory 246. In one example, an audio file or video file
included in the
dossier may be compressed to decrease download times. In one example, all
recording files and
data are compressed or merged into a single downloadable file. Examples of the
single
downloadable file may include, but are not limited to, TAR, RAR, SIT, GZIP and
ZIP formats.
[0036] In step 355, the process 300 transmits the generated dossier to the
user (e.g., the client
computing system 250) or an indicated recipient (e.g., when the download
format is an e-mail
sent to one or more indicated recipients) based on the selected download
format. The process
300 then ends.
[0037] In some configurations, at the client computing system 250, the
dossier may be
verified to ensure that the dossier has not been tampered. For example, the
file(s) included in the
dossier may be compared with the checksum value(s), which may be a series of
characters in an
associated text file that act as a digital fingerprint. When a dossier is
created, the checksum may
be stored separately (e.g., on the communications server 130, or in a file)
for future verification
of the data (e.g., files) included in the dossier.
[0038] In some configurations, each downloaded dossier may include an
accompanying text
file containing a checksum (e.g., a hash or hashtag) for each recording
contained in the dossier
(e.g., zip or compressed file). Each checksum may be an MD5 hash of a specific
digital file
(e.g., audio or video recording, etc.) and may be understood as unique file
"fingerprint." Below
is an example of a text file that contains digital fingerprints for two audio
recordings:
2316183ce2cb10de32a0873cccaca1 78 010 Neil
415-412-9861 07-27-1 1 1215.wav
e8c6f6c54423185044c82cfd947be9ea 02 0
Neil 210-663-0540 07-27-11 1100.wav
[0039] In some configurations, the text above would be emailed or otherwise
distributed
separately from the digital recordings to prevent tampering of the digital
recordings. Each digital
fingerprint allows a user to verify that the file matches the original at any
point in the future. To
verify that the files have not been altered. a validation tool or application
may be utilized to
match each so-called "fingerprint- to each corresponding file. In some
configurations, the
validation tool may be included in a given operating system.
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[0040] In some configurations, the process 300 may be performed when a user
(e.g.,
investigator or attorney) wishes to download a wide variety of data associated
with a detainee for
offline access (e.g., without Internet or network access). The following
description describes
example usage scenarios that might occur regarding a detainee that has been in
custody for 12
weeks while waiting for a trial:
Investigator
I. First, an investigator downloads a dossier of all financial, communications
and
commissary related records related to the detainee to assist in the search for
cohorts in the
crime that the detainee is accused of committing.
2. The investigator prints a document from the dossier that lists all of the
events known to
the communications system, which includes calls, deposits, Internet browsing
history,
games, photos exchanged, grievances filed, and video visits.
3. While the records show hundreds of completed calls to a variety of
destinations, the
investigator notices a number of attempted calls to a single number that were
never
accepted. The phone number is associated with a person who has previously
deposited
funds via smartphone to another inmate at another facility that uses Telmate
(as its inmate
communications provider). Because of this past activity, the dossier download
from
Telmate includes several clustered geolocation coordinates on a map that are
related to
previous activity.
4. The investigator checks out the geographic coordinates and sees that they
cluster around
an abandoned building. The abandoned building leads to the arrest of another
suspect and
the discovery of a methamphetamine lab.
Attorney
1. The prosecuting attorney requests a download of all data associated with
the original
arrested detainee and a second download of all records associated with the
newly arrested
suspect.
2. The records are shared, through the legal discovery process, with the
defense attorneys
representing the suspects. Because the records can be downloaded as a single
record, or
organized batch of records, sharing this information with other attorneys
involves just a
few clicks.
3. The documents are discussed between the attorneys and the large
amount of evidence that
the two suspects are connected (through the records in the downloaded
dossier), perhaps
combined with other evidence gathered outside this invention, leads the
suspects to plead
guilty.
Archiving
1. The downloaded dossier file or files are archived in a manner that matches
the County
and State's required archiving process ensuring that documents are available
five or ten
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years later when the two detainees are up for parole.
100411 FIG. 4 conceptually illustrates an example graphical user interface
(GUI) 400 for
setting user restrictions according to some configurations of the subject
technology. In some
configurations, GUI 400 may be provided by the communications server 130 in an
interface of a
web-based application (e.g., administrator console).
[0042] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the GUI 400 includes one or more graphical
elements. A
graphical element can include, but is not limited to, a button, check box,
radio button, slider, list
box, drop-down list, menu, combo box, icon, text box, scroll bar, etc. In the
example GUI 400, a
graphical display area 410 provides, in different graphical elements,
information associated with
an individual (e.g., investigator, etc.) such as a display name, login,
password, next login option,
group, domain, and organization. A user may interact with the graphical
elements (e.g., text
fields, drop-down menu, etc.) in the graphical display area 410 to modify the
information
associated with the individual. Further, a graphical display area 420
provides, in different
graphical elements, information corresponding to a set of privileges that
define a set of user
restrictions associated with the individual. A user may interact with the
graphical elements (e.g.,
drop-down menu, etc.) in the graphical display area 420 to modify the set of
privileges for
different types of data that may be accessed by the individual (e.g., default,
deny, read only,
read/write). In this fashion, the subject technology provides granularity, on
a per-user basis, in
defining a set of user restrictions associated with an individual.
[0043] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example computer system 500
with which the
communications terminal 110 and communications server 130 of FIG. 2 can be
implemented. In
certain aspects, the computer system 500 may be implemented using hardware or
a combination
of software and hardware, either in a dedicated server, or integrated into
another entity, or
distributed across multiple entities.
[0044] Computer system 500 (e.g.. communications terminal 110 and
communications server
130) includes a bus 508 or other communication mechanism for communicating
information, and
a processor 502 (e.g.. processor 212 and 242) coupled with bus 508 for
processing information.
By way of example, the computer system 500 may be implemented with one or more
processors
502. Processor 502 may be a general-purpose microprocessor, a microcontroller,
a Digital
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Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a
Field
Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), a
controller, a state
machine, gated logic, discrete hardware components, or any other suitable
entity that can
perform calculations or other manipulations of information.
[0045] Computer system 500 can include, in addition to hardware, code that
creates an
execution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., code that
constitutes
processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an
operating system, or a
combination of one or more of them stored in an included memory 504 (e.g.,
memory 204 and
246), such as a Random Access Memory (RAM), a flash memory, a Read Only Memory
(ROM),
a Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM), an Erasable PROM (EPROM), registers, a
hard
disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD, or any other suitable storage device,
coupled to bus
508 for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor 502.
The processor 502
and the memory 504 can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose
logic circuitry.
[0046] The instructions may be stored in the memory 504 and implemented in one
or more
computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computer program
instructions
encoded on a computer readable medium for execution by, or to control the
operation of, the
computer system 500, and according to any method well known to those of skill
in the art,
including, but not limited to, computer languages such as data-oriented
languages (e.g., SQL,
dBase), system languages (e.g., C, Objective-C, C++, Assembly), architectural
languages (e.g.,
Java, .NET), and application languages (e.g.. PHP, Ruby, Perl, Python).
Instructions may also be
implemented in computer languages such as array languages, aspect-oriented
languages,
assembly languages, authoring languages, command line interface languages,
compiled
languages, concurrent languages, curly-bracket languages, dataflow languages,
data-structured
languages, declarative languages, esoteric languages. extension languages,
fourth-generation
languages, functional languages, interactive mode languages, interpreted
languages, iterative
languages, list-based languages, little languages. logic-based languages,
machine languages,
macro languages, metaprogramming languages. multiparadigm languages, numerical
analysis,
non-English-based languages, object-oriented class-based languages, object-
oriented prototype-
based languages, off-side rule languages. procedural languages, reflective
languages, rule-based
languages, scripting languages, stack-based languages. synchronous languages,
syntax handling
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languages, visual languages, wirth languages, embeddable languages, and xml-
based languages.
Memory 504 may also be used for storing temporary variable or other
intermediate information
during execution of instructions to be executed by processor 502.
[0047] A computer program as discussed herein does not necessarily correspond
to a file in a
file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other
programs or data (e.g.,
one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file
dedicated to the
program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store
one or more modules,
subprograms, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployed to be
executed on one
computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed
across multiple sites
and interconnected by a communication network. The processes and logic flows
described in
this specification can be performed by one or more programmable processors
executing one or
more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and
generating output.
[0048] Computer system 500 further includes a data storage device 506 such as
a magnetic
disk or optical disk, coupled to bus 508 for storing information and
instructions. Computer
system 500 may be coupled via input/output module 510 to various devices. The
input/output
module 510 can be any input/output module. Example input/output modules 510
include data
ports such as USB ports. The input/output module 510 is configured to connect
to a
communications module 512. Example communications modules 512 (e.g.,
communications
module 214 and 244) include networking interface cards, such as Ethernet cards
and modems. In
certain aspects, the input/output module 510 is configured to connect to a
plurality of devices,
such as an input device (e.g., input device 216) and/or an output device 516
(e.g., display device
218). Example input devices 514 include a keyboard and a pointing device,
e.g., a mouse or a
trackball, by which a user can provide input to the computer system 500. Other
kinds of input
devices 514 can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well, such
as a tactile input
device, visual input device, audio input device, or brain-computer interface
device. For example,
feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, e.g.,
visual feedback,
auditory feedback, or tactile feedback: and input from the user can be
received in any form,
including acoustic, speech. tactile, or brain wave input. Example output
devices include display
devices, such as a LED (light emitting diode). CRT (cathode ray tube), or LCD
(liquid crystal
display) screen. for displaying information to the user.
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100491 According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the
communications terminal 110
and communications server 130 can be implemented using a computer system 500
in response to
processor 502 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions
contained in memory
504. Such instructions may be read into memory 504 from another machine-
readable medium,
such as data storage device 506. Execution of the sequences of instructions
contained in main
memory 504 causes processor 502 to perform the process steps described herein.
One or more
processors in a multi-processing arrangement may also be employed to execute
the sequences of
instructions contained in memory 504. In alternative aspects, hard-wired
circuitry may be used
in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement various
aspects of the
present disclosure. Thus, aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to
any specific
combination of hardware circuitry and software.
[0050] Various aspects of the subject matter described in this
specification can be
implemented in a computing system that includes a back end component, e.g., as
a data server, or
that includes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, or that
includes a front end
component, e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a Web
browser through
which a user can interact with an implementation of the subject matter
described in this
specification, or any combination of one or more such back end, middleware, or
front end
components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or
medium of
digital data communication, e.g., a communication network. The communication
network (e.g.,
network 150) can include, for example, any one or more of a PAN, LAN, CAN,
MAN, WAN,
BBN, the Internet, and the like. Further, the communication network can
include, but is not
limited to, for example, any one or more of the following network topologies,
including a bus
network, a star network, a ring network, a mesh network, a star-bus network,
tree or hierarchical
network, or the like. The communications modules can be, for example, modems
or Ethernet
cards.
[0051] Computer system 500 can include clients and servers. A client and
server are generally
remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network.
The
relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs
running on the respective
computers and having a client-server relationship to each other. Computer
system 500 can be,
for example. and without limitation, a desktop computer, laptop computer, or
tablet computer.
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Computer system 500 can also be embedded in another device, for example, and
without
limitation, a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile
audio player, a
Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, a video game console, and/or a
television set top box.
[0052] The term "machine-readable storage medium" or "computer readable
medium" as used
herein refers to any medium or media that participates in providing
instructions or data to
processor 502 for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including, but
not limited to,
non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media
include, for
example, optical disks, magnetic disks, or flash memory, such as data storage
device 506.
Volatile media include dynamic memory, such as memory 504. Transmission media
include
coaxial cables, copper wire, and fiber optics, including the wires that
comprise bus 508.
Common forms of machine-readable media include, for example, floppy disk, a
flexible disk,
hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other
optical
medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of
holes, a RAM, a
PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any
other
medium from which a computer can read. The machine-readable storage medium can
be a
machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a
memory device, a
composition of matter effecting a machine-readable propagated signal, or a
combination of one
or more of them.
[0053] As used herein, the phrase "at least one of' preceding a series of
items, with the terms
"and" or "or" to separate any of the items, modifies the list as a whole,
rather than each member
of the list (i.e., each item). The phrase "at least one of' does not require
selection of at least one
item; rather, the phrase allows a meaning that includes at least one of any
one of the items,
and/or at least one of any combination of the items, and/or at least one of
each of the items. By
way of example, the phrases "at least one of A, B, and C" or "at least one of
A, B, or C- each
refer to only A, only B, or only C: any combination of A, B, and C; and/or at
least one of each of
A. B. and C.
[0054] Furthermore, to the extent that the term "include," "have," or the
like is used in the
description, including the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a
manner similar to the
term "comprise" as "comprise- is interpreted when employed as a transitional
word in a claim.
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[0055] A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean "one
and only one"
unless specifically stated, but rather "one or more." The term "some" refers
to one or more. All
structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various
configurations described
throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those
of ordinary skill in
the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be
encompassed by the
subject technology. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be
dedicated to the public
regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the above
description.
[0056] While this specification contains many specifics, these should not
be construed as
limitations on the scope of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of
particular
implementations of the subject matter. Certain features that are described in
this specification in
the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in
a single
embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of
a single
embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in
any suitable
subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting
in certain
combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a
claimed
combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed
combination
may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
100571 Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a
particular order, this
should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the
particular order
shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed,
to achieve desirable
results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be
advantageous.
Moreover, the separation of various system components in the aspects described
above should
not be understood as requiring such separation in all aspects, and it should
be understood that the
described program components and systems can generally be integrated together
in a single
software product or packaged into multiple software products.
[0058] The subject matter of this specification has been described in terms
of particular
aspects, but other aspects can be implemented and are within the scope of the
following claims.
For example, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different
order and still
achieve desirable results. As one example, the processes depicted in the
accompanying figures
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do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to
achieve desirable
results. These and other implementations are within the scope of the following
claims.
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